All the Stars and Teeth(53)

“Get away from this boat now and we’ll spare your life,” Bastian says. His words slur, and I wonder how hard that stone hit his head.

“Give me the princess and I’ll spare yours,” the man replies. His eyes light with excitement as he tries to lunge past Bastian. He truly thinks he has us cornered, and he might be right. Bastian’s eyes keep crossing. The man reaches for me again and I claw my fingernails into his skin, trying to throw him off balance. We need to get him off the boat. We need—

Someone is singing. It’s a language I don’t understand, and a voice unlike any I’ve heard.

Forget honey, this is unparalleled sweetness and silk. Everyone stills, attention shifting to the mermaid who is only a few short feet away. She watches us with golden eyes that rest above the sea. Water clings to her smooth black hair, which floats around her like a dusky halo. Her lips are beneath the surface, but still her precious song calls to us.

Vataea’s eyes flicker briefly to my side. A signal. I force myself to break away and look at Ferrick and Bastian. Their faces are slack. They stare unblinking at the mermaid, lost in the trance of her song. Ferrick tries to stand, but I push him back down onto the dinghy’s small wooden bench. When Bastian moves to stand as well, I sigh and collapse into his lap while draping my feet over Ferrick’s thighs, locking him in place.

The mermaid’s spell is working too well. It’s everything I can do to keep them from chasing after her.

She lifts her lips out of the water. I try not to stare at how soft and full they are as she parts them, singing another verse.

The dinghy rocks as the skinny man throws himself away from the boat and swims toward the mermaid. Both Bastian and Ferrick try to do the same, but I grind my boots into the bench and stiffen my legs to keep Ferrick down. As for Bastian, I pinch his cheeks in my hands, trying to get him to look at me. He struggles, but I don’t let him turn away. His breath is warm on my lips. It takes me by surprise, softening my body enough for Bastian to knock me down as he stands. I rush to my feet, swaying the dinghy, and throw myself back on top of him and Ferrick.

“Kiss them,” the mermaid whispers, her words wrapping around me. The scrawny man has already reached her. She smiles as she holds his shoulders, body pressed close to his. “This song is one for anyone who can be seduced by a woman’s charm. So a kiss from a woman is the quickest way to break the spell. Here, I’ll show you.” She draws the entranced man forward and presses her lips against his. His fingers dig into her bare shoulders, pulling her against his body. It takes only a second longer before his eyes snap open in realization.

It’s already too late.

He tries to scream but the mermaid’s fingers sink into his skin as she drags his body beneath the water.

I’ve heard stories of what mermaids do with those they entrance. Some say they devour their hearts to prevent themselves from aging. Some say they drag sailors down to their home beneath the water and imprison them. And then there are some who say a mermaid doesn’t need a reason to drown anyone. They’ll tell you that mermaids do it for fun.

As Vataea disappears, I’m left with two men who are about to throw themselves after the mermaid if I don’t do something quickly.

I sigh, staring at Ferrick’s lips. I was always going to have to kiss them one day, but the time has come far too soon.

Ferrick doesn’t budge as I lean in and press my lips against his. He tastes like the sour ale he sipped on at Vice, lips soft and fuller than I gave him credit for. His hands twitch at my sides and settle on my hips, attempting to draw me in. He pulls my bottom lip between his teeth and bites it gently. It’s something that would normally elicit a heat in my belly, but while Ferrick’s a fine kisser, I feel nothing.

When I draw back he gasps for a breath, flushed from his forehead to his neck. He looks at me, but the expression is so surprised I’m not sure he recognizes what’s happening. I shift my attention to the pirate whose lap I’m sitting on.

Bastian’s skin is smooth as I cup his face in my palm, trying to draw his attention to me once more. He’s eyeing the water with an animalistic hunger that sets nerves crawling along my skin. I try to ignore why this makes me so anxious as I lean in and press my lips to his.

Bastian’s quicker to respond than Ferrick. His hand slides from my thigh to my waist, and then to my shoulder. He grips it tightly, crushing me to him. My entire body swells with warmth and I find myself kissing him back with the same urgency. Bastian’s other hand rests on my back and beneath my shirt, caressing my skin. His tongue brushes mine, tasting me, and chills pulse through my body like electricity.

This is how a kiss is meant to make me feel.

I have to force myself to pull away, sucking in a breath.

Bastian’s eyes are open, staring. His chest moves in quick, heavy breaths. When he realizes where his hands are, he clears his throat and draws them back to his sides. “I’m sorry,” he whispers breathlessly. I’m about to tell him it’s fine when his eyes move toward the water once more. “I thought you were…”

“Vataea,” I finish for him. The words hit me like a tidal wave. “You thought I was the mermaid.”

He ducks his head and opens his mouth to speak, but I don’t let him. I push myself from his lap and grab the oar, thankful for an excuse to look away. Painting a smile onto my lips, I begin to row. “She told me it was the quickest way to break the spell. The only thing you have to be sorry for is being so susceptible to a woman’s charm. The same goes for you, Ferrick.”